


Rain or Shine

by SKW



Series: A/B/O NCT [1]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alpha Mark Lee (NCT), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Donghyuck is suffering, Feelings, Kissing, M/M, Mention of boners, Mother Taeyong, NCT pack dynamics, Not too spicy don't worry, Omega Lee Donghyuck | Haechan, Pain medicine, Sleepy Cuddles, Vomiting, doctor's visits, side JohnYong
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-20
Updated: 2019-01-20
Packaged: 2019-10-13 10:41:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17486630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SKW/pseuds/SKW
Summary: Donghyuck is warm and soft and honey-sweet, everything Mark has ever wanted and so much more.





	Rain or Shine

Donghyuck shuffles his way to the kitchen, socked feet padding on the hardwood floor. A nightmare had woken him up before his alarm and he couldn’t fall back asleep, so now he was awake an entire hour early. As he passed the living room he noticed Doyoung, curled in an armchair with a cup of coffee and his phone.

“Morning, Hyuck,” He says softly, smiling at the younger.

“Morning, hyu-” Donghyuck’s gasp interrupts him as pain shoots through his lower abdomen. “Shit,” he whispers, tears springing to his eyes as he clutches his stomach.

“Donghyuck!” Doyoung springs up and rushes over to the younger boy. “Is it your cramps?”

Donghyuck nods, biting back a scream as his insides feel like they are tearing each other apart. He can’t wake up the entire dorm. He stumbles over to the couch, throwing himself down. Being horizontal lessens his pain a bit.

“Let me get you some medicine, okay?” Doyoung says, then rushes off to the bathroom. Donghyuck squeezes his eyes shut tightly and when he opens them again Doyoung is there shaking his shoulder. He quickly swallows the proffered pill. Warmth encompasses him as Doyoung drapes a blanket over his curled-up form, and he falls asleep soon after.

 

Mark towel dries his hair and tries to fix it a tiny bit. Grabbing his backpack and phone, he speedwalks down the hallway to grab a granola bar. He’s going to be late if he doesn’t hurry up. Before he can open the door and get going, however, the conversation in the living room stops him.

“He cried, Taeyong. Cried it was so bad. He needs help,” Doyoung says, the intense look in his eye that always makes Mark want to run and hide.

“I know, I just-” Taeyong sighs. “You know he’s going to refuse suppressants after what happened to me.”

“That can’t be his only option,” Johnny says, rubbing Taeyong’s back soothingly.

Mark pulls his earbuds out and steps closer. It’s only then that he notices the body on the couch, practically buried beneath blankets. He lets out a breath and falls to his knees beside Donghyuck.

“Mark!” Taeyong says, not having noticed the alpha before. Mark notices the tear tracks on Donghyuck’s face, the way he shivers despite having four blankets piled on top of him. His eyelashes flutter as if he’s having a vivid dream.

“What happened?” He asks quietly.

“His cramps came suddenly and badly so he laid down on the couch. I gave him some pain meds and he fell asleep pretty quickly after that,” Doyoung explains.

Mark brushes the hair off of Donghyuck’s face and turns to Taeyong, the only other omega in the room besides the one passed out. “What’s-what’s happening to him?” He tries his hardest to keep his voice from trembling, but he’s truly afraid. What had started out as normal cramps that an omega would experience had evolved into almost daily pain for Donghyuck. Mark didn’t know how much longer he could watch the boy suffer.

“I don’t know,” Taeyong sighs and tucks himself farther into his boyfriend’s side. “It could be normal, since it hasn't even been a year since his presentation, or it could be something more complicated.”

Mark tears his gaze from the tear tracks staining Donghyuck’s cheeks. “Can I stay with him today?”

Taeyong shoots a glance to Johnny before nodding. “He’d like that. Talk to your manager.”

“We have to get going,” Johnny says, patting Mark’s shoulder as he passes him. Doyoung follows, smoothing the blanket over Donghyuck’s back. Mark sits on the floor thinking for a couple more minutes until everyone has left the dorm.

 

A tugging sensation deep in his stomach rouses Mark to consciousness. He sits up with a jolt.

“I fell asleep,” he gasps. His phone is digging into his side so he grabs it, checking the time. Three o’ clock. A scent washes over him as he inhales, and he feels a gentle tug at his arm. The sugary sweetness is so concentrated in his dimly-lit room that Mark can almost taste it, and it makes his mouth water. He stays still for a few long moments, trying to calm his racing heart. Eventually, he lays back down and faces the boy he knows has snuck into his bed.

“Mark.” The alpha’s eyes trace the lines of the face on his other pillow, admiring the way the yellowish light from his bedside lamp illuminates the planes of the omega’s face. When he doesn’t immediately answer, Donghyuck scoots himself closer. “Mark,” he whines. “My stomach hurts.”

Donghyuck slipping into his bed and begging for cuddles had become a fairly common occurrence. The first couple of times that Donghyuck had shown up in his room, Mark had wondered why he was the one the omega had chosen to help him during his heats. Recently, he hasn’t been asking questions, letting the feverish boy curl up between his arms, rubbing his stomach and back, and pressing kisses to his mouth when the omega pouts.

Wordlessly, Mark lifts an arm for him. Donghyuck turns away from Mark, shimmying closer until they are pressed together chest-to-back and their legs tangled. It’s a dangerous position for the alpha. Donghyuck is probably going to tease him when he wakes up to something pressing against the small of his back, but Mark has grown basically immune to the smaller boy’s jabs. Instead, he likes to focus on the sleep-induced blush on the apples of Donghyuck’s cheeks and his adorable bedhead.

Since his hair is shoved in the alpha’s face, Mark can’t resist nuzzling into the soft strands. The scent of his strawberry shampoo is almost completely consumed by his pheromones, which are a little bitter, betraying his discomfort. It’s clear that he’s in pain from the way that he shifts around on the sheets restlessly, squirming like he can’t find a comfortable position.

“Did you take your meds?” Mark asks. His voice is husky with sleep, tickling the omega’s ear. Donghyuck stills.

“Yeah, but it still hurts,” Donghyuck responds in a whisper. Mark slings an arm around the younger boy, fingertips grazing his stomach. He lets Donghyuck grab his hand and maneuver it under his shirt, pressing it flat to where the pain is most concentrated.

“Mmm, poor baby,” Mark hums, rubbing Donghyuck’s stomach gently. “Did you drink water?”

“Y-yeah,” Donghyuck trips over his words as relief pools in his stomach. Mark’s touches tend to make everything better.

“Did you eat?” Mark’s lips brush the skin of Donghyuck’s neck as he speaks, and it takes everything in him to not taste the perspiration on the omega’s overheated skin.

“Only breakfast,” Donghyuck whispers, slightly muffled by the pillow that the omega has his face buried in.

“I bet you’re hungry.” His exhaustion mixed with Donghyuck’s pheromones make him feel floaty.

“Mark,” the omega lays his hand over Mark’s where it lays prone on his soft stomach. “Harder.”

Mark grins into the bronzed skin of Donghyuck’s neck. “Harder?” he laughs quietly, but obligingly presses his fingers more firmly against the omega’s skin.

Donghyuck wiggles until he can crane his neck to face Mark, laying on his back. His thigh slides between Mark’s thighs, skin searing. Toes from his other leg curl against the sheets. The omega’s eyelashes, free of make-up but still devastatingly dark, flutter as he blinks up at Mark. The position gives the alpha easier access to Donghyuck’s stomach now. He can nudge his fingers up against Donghyuck’s ribs and curl them around the curve of his waist, but he’s careful to keep them away from the waistband of the boy’s underwear. Donghyuck is very obviously hard but Mark tries not to stare, unlike the omega who won’t take his eyes off of Mark’s mouth.

“Don’t tease,” the omega murmurs.

“No?” Mark lets a smile creep to his face. He knows he’s being unfair, that Donghyuck is being partly controlled by his body’s hormones, but he can’t help but tease. A blushing, whiny Donghyuck is one of his favorite versions of the omega. Besides, Donghyuck’s pheromones are acting upon the alpha as well, if the desire to lick the sweat droplet from Donghyuck’s temple is any indication.

The younger boy starts pleading again but Mark can’t help himself from closing the couple inches between their mouths, craving the softness of the his lips. He brushes his thumb over the omega’s jaw as he kisses him in brief brushes of their lips, which he knows will frustrate him to no end. Sure enough, when Mark pulls back Donghyuck is glaring at him.

“You’re kinda worked up, baby,” Mark says, taking Donghyuck’s chin in his hand, subtly admiring the omega. Donghyuck is warm and soft and honey-sweet, everything Mark has ever wanted and so much more. He makes a muffled noise of frustration, shoving his face even closer to Mark’s.

“Kiss me for real.”

Mark really does kiss him. He doesn’t feel like holding back any longer for the sake of teasing. He shifts so that he’s hovering above Donghyuck, hands hitching the omega’s bare legs up so that they bracket his waist. Donghyuck’s tongue is even hotter than his skin. Donghyuck curls his fingers into Mark’s hair as Mark’s hands press to the small of his back.

Donghyuck fights for breath as Mark trails his mouth down his neck, tasting the sweat lingering there. He realizes that it probably should be gross, wanting to know what the omega’s sweat tastes like, but he can’t find it in him to consider anything about the younger boy gross.

“Can I give you hickeys?” Mark asks. The distressed neckline of Donghyuck’s shirt lets him kiss the space between the omega’s clavicles. He wants so badly to latch his mouth onto Donghyuck’s skin and dig his teeth in, but he doesn’t want to cross a line.

“Please,” Donghyuck pants. Mark loves the feeling of the omega’s careful hands playing with his hair. He sucks hard on the spot he’d picked out before, pulling away and watching in satisfaction as it blooms pink, then red. He leaves a few more marks around Donghyuck’s collarbones, all of which are able to be concealed by a high-necked sweater. He kisses the omega’s mouth, surprised when his legs tighten around Mark’s waist as if he wants to keep him there.

When he pulls away, Donghyuck’s glowing. He’s considerably calmer than he was before, lying still except for the steady rise and fall of his chest. Breathing in deeply, Mark finds comfort in the purity of the omega’s scent. Earlier his scent had been a bit sour; now, its sweetness betrays his happiness. It’s clear that Donghyuck is done for the time being, so Mark nudges the omega’s legs back down to the bed. Donghyuck stretches them out, yawning. Mark runs a thumb over the boy’s cheek.

“Are you okay?” Mark asks, laying down on the other side of the omega. Donghyuck looks as if he’s fighting to keep his eyes open as he wraps Mark’s softest blanket around himself and collapses on the bed.

“Sleepy,” Donghyuck says, closing his eyes for good. Mark hums, pulling the boy closer and covering them both with his duvet. He reaches to turn off the lamp.  
Donghyuck shifts until his head is pillowed on Mark’s chest, and then dozes off. Mark lets his hand settle on Donghyuck’s hip and sighs into the silent bedroom. He’s painfully hard in his underwear but Donghyuck is sleeping blissfully on top of him, all pain gone. Mark realizes how difficult it is for the boy to get good sleep while he’s in heat, so he’ll have to stick it out until Donghyuck wakes up. He feels wide awake.

“I love you,” he says to the head of hair beneath his chin. Donghyuck snores softly in response. Mark presses a kiss to his fluffy hair and smiles.

 

Mark lets out an undignified shriek the next morning when his shower curtain is tugged open. Covering as much as he can with a loofah, he glares at Donghyuck and shuts off the water before it can get all over the bathroom floor.

“Hyuck!” he reprimands. Said boy looks unimpressed, crossing his arms in front of his chest. His eyes scan up and down Mark’s -naked- body.

“Please get my loofah away from your dick.”

Mark blushes despite himself. He’s always been more shy about nudity than Donghyuck, who doesn’t even bat an eye. He tugs the shower curtain closed again, replacing Donghyuck’s loofah on the shower rack and composing himself. When he peeks his face out around the curtain, Donghyuck is still standing there. It fills Mark with a strange sense of happiness to see that the boy is wearing one of his t-shirts. His thighs are bare as usual, but he’s wearing fuzzy socks to protect his feet from the perpetually freezing floors of their dorm.

“We have the day off,” Donghyuck informs him.

“We?” Mark asks. Donghyuck has this whole week off of practices for his heat, but Mark usually has to practice as normal, even when the only thing he wants to do is stay home with the omega.

“I convinced Taeyong to convince his manager to convince your manager to convince your choreographer to let you off for the day again,” Donghyuck says. “All it took was a little complaining about my cramps. You’re welcome.”

Mark nods, pressing his face to the cool bathroom tiles as a strange warmth fills his chest. With how aloof Donghyuck acted sometimes, it was nice to get some reassurance that he actually wanted him there. A grin rose to his face. He could tell how irritatingly smug he must look by Donghyuck’s scoff. The omega turns away from the shower with a dramatic, sock-footed twirl.

“Don’t waste all the hot water!” he calls before shutting the bathroom door behind him with a soft click.

Mark lets out what must have been his twentieth sigh of the day. Before, waking up to a sweaty Donghyuck laying on top of him, Mark had sighed as he gently shifted the boy off of him. He’d sighed as he checked the time, 6:35. Sighed again as he realized that to shower and still make his 7:30 rehearsal time he’d need to get up that instant, leaving behind a warm, sweet-smelling omega and a comfortable bed. He’d carefully lifted himself over Donghyuck’s sleeping body, trying not to jostle the boy too badly. It didn’t stop the omega’s displeased whine when he rolled over into the warm spot where Mark used to be and found it unoccupied. He’d cracked an eye open and glared at Mark as he gathered clothes for the day and packed his bag. Mark moved to unplug his phone from the charger and bent to kiss Donghyuck’s forehead.

“See you tonight,” he’d said, thinking that the omega’s cramps were likely to return and he wouldn’t be getting out of bed before Mark left for the day.

“Close the blinds,” was the only thing that he had grumbled back, unplugging his own phone and rolling away from Mark.

Now, Mark thought, getting dressed in a t-shirt and joggers, he was just confused. Why did Donghyuck act indifferent to Mark leaving, then do a complete 180 in the next few minutes and make Mark stay?

The alpha goes into the kitchen and makes himself a cup of coffee. Taeyong’s buttering a slice of toast at the counter and Jaehyun and Johnny sit at the table eating. Mark doesn’t know where Donghyuck is, but he figured he’s probably showering. He sits at the table, blowing on his coffee to cool it down and mumbling good mornings to his hyungs. Taeyong sits next to him and slides a plate of toast and fruit to him. Mark looks up in surprise.

“How’s Hyuck?” Taeyong asks, sipping his coffee. The omega is wearing a sweater that is definitely Johnny’s, the sleeves rolled at his wrists so they don’t cover his hands.

“He’s okay, he came to me yesterday afternoon and night about his cramps but they seemed to go away after a little while,” Mark answers, taking a bite of the toast. Taeyong seems to be training him on how to take care of Donghyuck. As the oldest omega in their pack, Taeyong feels the need to care for all of the younger omegas, but he’s always careful not to overstep his bounds. He and Donghyuck aren’t even mated, he feels like he needs to remind Taeyong. However, the thought of anyone else cuddling and comforting Donghyuck in the way that he does makes him feel sick so he stays silent about the matter and lets Taeyong care for in-heat Donghyuck vicariously through him.

Jaehyun smirks at him over a spoonful of cereal. “A little while of what?”

Mark can feel himself instantly reddening. He distracts himself from the alpha’s teasing by mixing the creamer into his coffee.

Taeyong flicks Jaehyun’s hand away from where it was inching towards his bacon. “That’s good. I got you both the day off, so if his stomach starts acting up again it won’t be a problem.” The omega finishes eating and drops his last piece of bacon onto an the plate of an elated-looking Jaehyun. He washes the dishes at the sink, then makes to leave the kitchen but stops beside Mark’s chair, laying a hand on his shoulder.

“I know he doesn’t always say it, but Hyuck is really grateful for what you do,” Taeyong gives Mark a soft smile. Johnny gets up to follow his omega, cleaning his plate. Taeyong passes Sicheng in the doorway, catching the omega’s wrist.

“Is Yuta up yet?” He questions. Sicheng shakes his head as Johnny combs his fingers through Mark’s wet hair, brown eyes warm. Taeyong huffs and stalks out of the kitchen, no doubt to roll the stubborn alpha out of his bed, but he only gets halfway across the living room before Johnny comes up behind him and wraps his arms around his waist. He lifts Taeyong easily and tosses the giggling omega on the couch. Mark watches the exchange between his hyungs fondly, but it also makes him ache inside.

“Just talk to him,” Jaehyun says as if it’s the simplest thing. “You totally got this, bro.”

Mark groans.

 

Donghyuck groans. As steam lifts from the bathroom mirror, he stares at his reflection. His electric toothbrush whirs in his mouth as he pokes at his bare torso with a frown. His stomach looks the same as it always has, tanned with light peach fuzz and a little bit of chubbiness, never having the desire for abs. His stomach is cute, so why does it hurt so bad?

He spits in the sink, does the final step of his morning skincare routine, and puts on a sweatshirt that he secretly snatched from Mark’s closet before collapsing on the toilet seat with a gasp. The pain comes in waves and he never knows when the next one will come. He sits there for what seems like forever, paralyzed, wincing whenever the pain strikes in his stomach and not knowing what to do. He needs Taeyong. Or, dare he admit it, Mark.

He stands carefully, gripping the counter tightly with one hand and rummaging through the medicine cabinet with the other. His head pounds and his vision blackens at the edges. He knocks a couple bottles from the shelf by accident, grabbing for the one he actually needs. By now, sweat is beading on his forehead and he needs to sit down, but he has to do this by himself, can’t make anyone else worry.

He unscrews the bottle, but it slips through his sweaty, shaking hands and pills scatter all over the counter and floor.

“Shit,” Donghyuck whines, grabbing for one anyway. A knock at the bathroom door makes Donghyuck freeze, hand halfway to his mouth. He drops the pill, plopping himself on the closed lid of the toilet heavily.

“Haechan?” It’s Taeil, his voice inquisitive. “Taeyong wanted me to tell you that we’re leaving.”

“O-okay,” Donghyuck manages to articulate past his trembling lips.

“Are you okay?” Looking at the door, the omega realizes it isn’t locked. He has a choice to make.

“No,” he chokes out, blinking up at the ceiling and fighting back tears.

“I’m going to come in, okay?” comes Taeil’s concerned voice. Taeil kneels next to Donghyuck, his face coming into view. When a hot tear slips from his eye, he wipes it away immediately. “What happened?” he asks softly, eyes darting around the mess of a bathroom.

“My stomach,” he says, voice nearing a sob. “I tried to deal with it myself.” More tears slide down his cheeks but he lets them go, burying his face into Taeil’s shoulder when the beta hugs him. Taeil’s scent works to calm Donghyuck, the mature beta being able to keep his own pheromones even and relaxing in a stressful situation, but they do nothing to take away the pain. He’s so frustrated with his body, with the insistent, growing pain it inflicts upon him. The realization dawns on him that he’s going to be spending most of today in a doctor’s office and cries harder. He pulls away from Taeil’s embrace, fixing his eldest hyung with a wide-eyed stare. “Please don’t tell Taeyong hyung about this,” he pleads.

Taeil slowly shakes his head. “You’re in a lot of pain, Hyuck. Taeyong needs to know.”

Donghyuck raises his head at movement in the doorway. It’s Taeyong. He’s probably come after Taeil, wondering what was taking so long. His face falls when he sees the tear streaks on the omega’s face.

“Oh, Hyuck,” Taeyong says, sinking to his knees on the floor next to Taeil, who gets up and murmurs an I’ll get Johnny before he leaves the bathroom. Taeyong wipes the tears from Donghyuck’s cheeks before pressing the omega’s face into his chest in a tight, comforting hug. Donghyuck lets out a long sigh, clutching the older omega close and breathing in his cologne and citrus laundry detergent. Taeyong’s fingers massage his scalp and he feels like melting.

His peace lasts for all of ten seconds before another jolt of pain causes him to whimper. “It’s worse, isn’t it?” Taeyong murmurs, rubbing his back. Donghyuck nods pathetically. “Can you walk?” He nods again.

“C’mon, Haechannie,” Johnny’s voice startles Donghyuck and he lifts his head up from Taeyong’s chest. “Up,” he says, gently lifting Donghyuck from the toilet seat and helping him stand. Despite how gentle Johnny had been, the room spins, his vision blackening dangerously. He grabs Johnny’s shirt to steady himself. The alpha wraps a precautionary arm around him and lets Donghyuck lean against him. Donghyuck can tell how nervous Johnny is by the pounding of his heart.

“Dizzy,” he says, and suddenly feels like he’s going to vomit. Mark comes skidding into the room not two seconds later. Donghyuck’s pulse pounds in his ears as Mark’s face swims in his vision.

“What’s going on?” he demands. A nauseous feeling rushes up in Donghyuck’s stomach and he tears himself out of Johnny’s arms, falling to his knees by the toilet and getting the lid up just in time. He knows the sound is disgusting, knows he would probably retch if he heard it. He realizes that the smell must be terrible which is why he is so confused to find Mark by his side not a moment later, brushing his wet hair back from his face, gently consoling him and running his hands over his trembling shoulders. Donghyuck squeezes his eyes shut so that the sight of his vomit doesn’t make him throw up again. His throat burns.

“All done?” Mark asks. Donghyuck nods and Mark pulls him away from the toilet, closing the lid and flushing away the evidence. Donghyuck shakes with his sobs, absolutely miserable.

Mark is shaking as well as he looks at Donghyuck, terrified for the omega. Taeyong sees this, realizing that his streak of bravery is over.

“Let’s go on the couch,” Taeyong gently steers Mark out of the bathroom, talking to him in a hushed voice. Johnny hands Donghyuck a wet washcloth and a glass of water, letting himself clean off his mouth. Donghyuck gets himself on his feet so that he can spit in the sink, Johnny hovering close behind him to catch him in case he stumbles. He doesn’t feel nauseous anymore but the pain in his stomach is still there.

Johnny takes his temperature, Donghyuck hardly noticing the device in his ear before it beeps. Johnny’s face is unreadable as he looks at the numbers on the display. He shows it to Donghyuck and the omega gasps. 104 degrees Fahrenheit, the device reads. He usually runs a slight fever during his heats, 99.5 or so, but he’d never had this high of a fever. He’s so scared that another choked sob forces its way from his throat.

Johnny leads him from the bathroom as tears fall down his face, down his neck, absorbed by Mark’s sweatshirt. In the living room, the members have congregated by the door. They were clearly ready to leave before Taeyong and Johnny had run off. A manager stands there as well, ready to escort them to their cars. Taeyong sits with Mark on the couch, clearly helping the alpha get back under control. Donghyuck itches to run to him.

As they enter, all eyes fall on the pair. Mark shoots off the couch, but Taeyong tugs him back down. “Let him come to you,” Taeyong reminds, rising from the couch to go speak with the manager.

Mark watches with wide eyes as Donghyuck slowly makes his way to the couch. He opens his arms, expression hopeful. Donghyuck hopes he doesn’t smell like puke as he clambers onto Mark’s lap, wrapping the boy in a tight hug.

Mark hugs back instantly and Donghyuck feels calm wash over him like never before. The pain of his stomach is muted, dull, in comparison to Mark’s steady heartbeat. His scent is strong when Donghyuck nudges his nose into the scent gland at the base of his neck. One of Mark’s hands runs over his back in a soothing manner, the other wrapped around his waist. The alpha rocks them back and forth slowly, comfortingly. Donghyuck watches his members file from the room. They wave and wish him to feel better. Johnny is herded from the room by a manager, much to his displeasure.

When the door closes behind the last person, silence falls heavy over the room. Taeyong sits in an armchair across Mark and Donghyuck. He checks his phone and sighs.

“A car will be here in ten minutes to get you two to a doctor’s office,” he says, getting up to wrap a blanket around the pair. Donghyuck groans while Mark’s eyes get impossibly wider.

“You two?” he asks.

“The agency isn’t letting me go with you,” he explains. “Haechan’s manager will be there with you.”

Mark doesn’t know what to say, holding the boy in his arms tighter.

“But, I don’t know…” Mark trails off, looking at Taeyong.

“You do, Mark. You can do it.”

Taeyong leaves to get water bottles for both of them and orange juice and a granola bar for Donghyuck that he doesn’t feel like eating but accepts anyway. He gets Mark’s wallet, sliding in Donghyuck’s medical cards. By the time the younger omega’s manager knocks at their door, Donghyuck is putty in Mark’s hands. He sure as hell doesn’t feel like getting up or separating himself from the alpha, but he has to.

Donghyuck slides into the backseat with Mark, getting as close to the boy as he can while still wearing his seatbelt. Mark’s hands find his stomach under the sweatshirt and jacket he wears, gently massaging and willing away the pain. Donghyuck slumps against him tiredly.

They drop off Taeyong at the studio and he waves goodbye, obviously reluctant to let the two off by themselves.

At the doctor’s office, Donghyuck gets to skip the wait. Privileges of his company, he supposes. They draw his blood, get his height and weight, his temperature, swab his scent glands, and collect every other statistic about his body possible. They even have to get a swab of his rectum for testing, at which Mark blushes, his hands tightening on the arms of his chair. Donghyuck, feeling much better with strong pain medication from the doctor, teasingly pops open the button on his jeans while maintaining eye contact with Mark. The alpha swallows hard, quickly rising to his feet and insisting on leaving the room. He gives Donghyuck a quick kiss before he slips through the door to stand outside with the manager. The doctor, a kind beta man, smiles at the exchange and compliments their relationship, but the moment is kind of ruined by the doctor’s gloves snapping against his wrists as he puts them on and Donghyuck’s (uncomfortable) nakedness.

Once all of the data collection is over and the doctor leaves them in the room to wait for results, Donghyuck collapses onto the table with a tired sigh. His manager is still in the hallway. He twists onto his side on the uncomfortable, sterile-smelling exam table, the paper crinkling loudly and creasing. Mark winces at the noise.

“How are you feeling now?” Mark asks him gently. He scoots his chair closer to the table to hold Donghyuck’s hand.

“Shitty but not shitty shitty,” Donghyuck responds. He feels well enough to joke with Mark, the pain in his stomach temporarily abated because of painkillers. Mark seems to pick up on his mood and cutely crinkles his nose.

“Please don’t talk about shit when you just had your rectum probed.”

Donghyuck lets out a loud laugh, startling Mark.

“I feel nice,” Donghyuck says, eyes going to the ceiling.

“I bet you do,” he responds softly. “They drugged you good.”

Donghyuck doesn’t respond for a long time, counting the dots on the ceiling panels. Eventually he loses count and stares at Mark instead. He doesn’t even know what he’s staring at- the depths of his eyes, maybe the quirk of his lips- but it doesn’t matter. Mark is there, and he cares about him.

“I love you, Markie.”

Mark clears his throat, ears instantly becoming pink. “Yeah. I love you too, Hyuck.”

 

Donghyuck gapes at the doctor. He closes his mouth and then opens it again, trying to find something to say. By his side, Mark seems just as dumbfounded. “My body is… what?”

“From this swab of your scent glands during a heat compared to ones in the past, your pheromone levels are higher than usual, which means that your body is preparing itself to mate,” the doctor says. “By our best estimate, your heat is going be spiking in two to three days.”

“What does this have to do with his cramps?” Mark asks, his hand around Donghyuck’s tightening.

“Increased pheromone levels usually come with unpleasant side effects,” the doctor explains. “These can include a high fever, more intense cramps, unnecessary lubrication, body aches, headaches, and vomiting.”

“So if I don’t mate my cramps won’t get better?” Donghyuck asks, panicking slightly. The doctor shakes his head, putting down his clipboard.

“There are other options, such as pills, patches, or suppressing your heat altogether. Those would be daily dosages or applications, however. If you do choose to mate, your cramps should return to mild-to-none,” the doctor gives him a reassuring smile. “Your body is probably frustrated with you. How long have you two been together?”

“Um-” Donghyuck says, locking eyes with Mark. Mark looks just as lost as he does. “About two years,” he answers, before the doctor gets suspicious.

"Ah,” the beta nods. “That makes sense. This is a common issue for omegas that meet their mates early in life. Your body realizes that you have a viable mating partner and it’s urging you to do so. But, you are in no way being forced to.”

Donghyuck nods as he absorbs the information. Mark is staring at his shoes, so Donghyuck doesn’t know what he is thinking.

“We’ll have to think about it,” Donghyuck says, speaking for Mark as well.

The doctor prescribes him with a couple days worth of painkillers, which will last him through the end of his heat. Donghyuck naps on the couch when they return to the dorm. Mark makes him a mug of steaming soup and sets it on the coffee table, not wanting to wake the peacefully sleeping omega. Mark’s mind races as he thinks about the doctor’s words, Donghyuck’s limited options.

The pills transform Donghyuck into someone that he’s not. After he’d taken them at the doctor’s office he seemed to be high, loose-lipped and giggly. After the initial effects wore off he was dead-tired and volatile. On the drive home, he’d slept on Mark’s thigh but whined if Mark touched him. Inside the dorm, he’d been short-tempered. Mark didn’t know what he was going to be like when he woke up. He couldn’t imagine trying to live their lives like this. As an idol, Donghyuck needed to be able to control his emotions and be able to trust his body. Snapping at a fan during a fan meet or being sluggish during a dance practice would not go over well.

The thought of Donghyuck suppressing his heat made Mark ache inside. Something deep inside him always longed for the moments they shared when Donghyuck came to him in the dead of the night to curl up in Mark’s bed. If Donghyuck no longer had heats, he’d have no reason to seek Mark out at night. Mark also realized how essential an omega’s heat was to their identity. Suppressants came with a whole list of negative side effects, including the possibility of acne, weight gain, and lack of scent. For Donghyuck’s scent to transform into something more muted, almost not there, would be traumatizing.

Which left Donghyuck with one last option. Mating. The word itself made Mark cringe, thinking of the biting practices they’d learned about in their history classes in middle school. There was never a more awkward environment besides their health classes than learning about the scars left on the shoulders of omegas during mating. That custom had been dead for decades, replaced with a much more relaxed custom of trading jewelry or trinkets. Nowadays, mating was more of an agreement than something physical, although it usually was accompanied by knotting.

Staring down at Donghyuck, Mark couldn’t help but wonder if he was holding him back. If not for Mark’s skittish tendencies would they have already mated? The possibility that Mark was the cause of all of Donghyuck’s pain as of recently makes a tear roll down his cheek. He settles on the ground, laying his head on the couch and closing his eyes.

A moment of silence passes before something rustles and Mark realizes that Donghyuck woke up. He raises his head, locking eyes with the omega. Donghyuck leans into a kiss, taking Mark by surprise. When he pulls back, he wipes the tear from Mark’s face.

“Why are you crying, dummy?” Donghyuck laughs softly. Mark sniffles, suddenly feeling very stupid.

“I’m just nervous for you,” Mark says. “It’s a big choice.”

“This involves you, too. I won’t do something that you don’t agree with.” Donghyuck rationalizes.

“But it’s your choice.”

“But my choice affects you.”

“It’s your body!”

“And I want it to be yours, too!” Donghyuck’s chest heaves with the confession, heavy words that had been sitting there for months finally out into the open.

  
Mark’s stunned into silence as Donghyuck’s words sink in. That was so much more of an intimate confession than anything traded between the two previously. For Donghyuck to want his body to be Mark’s meant that he wanted to become mates. With Mark. He blinked owlishly at the omega.

“Oh,” Mark says, stupidly. For the umpteenth time that day he’s blushing. He smiles a bit dopily when he realizes that he can say the words freely now. “I’m in love with you.”

“I know, you absolute idiot. I know,” Donghyuck kisses him, teeth accidentally clacking together when neither of them can hold back their smiles. The younger boy giggles when Mark tries to deepen it. Mark pouts as the omega keeps laughing at him, collapsing on the couch, hand fisted in Mark’s sweater like he’s hanging on for dear life. “I’m tired,” He looks hopefully to Mark.

Mark narrows his eyes at the boy. “Not until you eat all of your soup,” he says, trying to be as stern as Taeyong. He’s sure that it doesn’t work, but Donghyuck nods anyways.

They settle next to each other on the couch, Mark leaning his head on Donghyuck’s shoulder as he calls Taeyong and explains the state of affairs. He already knows Taeyong’s opinion on the matter. The older omega doesn’t share much about his past experiences, but Mark knows that his heat suppressants had messed up his body’s cycles so badly that he’d felt insecure about being with Johnny when they’d first gotten together. None of their other pack members regularly use suppressants. Mark remembers when, a year ago, Ten had been forced onto them by the company because he was supposed to get his heat in the middle of a schedule in Thailand when he was separated from Kun. After vehement protests from the omega, it hadn’t happened again. Renjun is the only omega other than Donghyuck who regularly takes meds for his heat cramps, the late bloomer’s body still in the process of regulating itself. It’s always difficult to be in the dream dorm while Renjun’s in pain, the atmosphere tense. They’d always assumed that Donghyuck’s body just wasn’t done adjusting to his omega status yet, but when his cramps started to get worse rather than better they knew that something else was going on.

Donghyuck chatted with Taeyong briefly. When he hung up, he looked to Mark and licked his lips, opening his mouth probably to say something about the quality of Mark’s soup. Mark interrupted him with a kiss.

As soon as their lips parted and it became less than innocent, Donghyuck climbed into Mark’s lap, thighs pressing the alpha into the couch. Mark holds his hips, tilting his face up. Donghyuck’s hands rest on Mark’s neck, playing with his soft black hair. Mark can’t resist slipping his hands up the back of Donghyuck’s hoodie to feel the warmth of the skin there, but as soon as his hands make contact Donghyuck moans into his mouth. Mark’s head feels fuzzy.

“We need to get off the couch or Doyoung is going to kill us,” he says, resting his forehead against Donghyuck’s.

“Carry me,” Donghyuck says, eyes sparkling. Mark obliges, standing up. Donghyuck wraps his legs around Mark’s waist with a squeak. “A little warning next time?” Mark just huffs, heading toward his bedroom. Along the way, Donghyuck teasingly nuzzles into Mark’s neck and almost causes the alpha to drop him when his tongue darts out to lick his jawline.

When they get to Mark’s bedroom he tosses Donghyuck on the bed where the omega starfishes, closing his eyes. The smile on his face tells Mark that it’s his responsibility to get him ready to sleep. He starts by slipping off Donghyuck’s socks, which the younger boy hates to sleep in. Next, he takes off Donghyuck’s(his) sweatshirt, since he’d get too hot if he kept it on. Donghyuck’s hair gets messed up in the process. Mark tries not to get flustered at how cute it is, tossing a t-shirt at the omega. Donghyuck puts it on while Mark unzips his jeans, rolling them off his legs. Donghyuck smirks at him once they’re all the way off.

“Shut up,” Mark says before Donghyuck can say anything.

“That’s not a very nice thing to say to your omega,” Donghyuck responds, curling up in Mark’s duvet. He looks like he belongs. Mark’s heart jumps. He turns to leave the bedroom for water and meds, trying not to think too hard about the wording of Donghyuck’s sentence.

When he returns, the omega is on the verge of sleep. Mark has to force him to take his medicine.

“I don’t want you to wake up hurting,” he says, pulling out his puppy dog eyes. Donghyuck rolls his eyes and swallows the pill and a gulp of water. Mark joins Donghyuck under the covers, curling up behind the drowsy omega and holding him close to his chest. For the first time since Donghyuck’s heat had started earlier that week, Mark falls asleep easily.

 

Waking up is an unpleasant affair. Someone is shaking his shoulder and he’s freezing. Stretching and opening his eyes, Mark is forced to come to terms with the unfortunate truth that there is a devastating lack of Donghyuck and an overwhelming abundance of Jaehyun in his room. Groaning, he sits up and rubs his eyes.

“What do you need?” he asks, a bit whiny. The older alpha scoffs and crosses his arms.

“Everyone’s here. Kun, Taeyong, and Jaemin are cooking dinner.” Mark’s eyes widen.

“Everyone?” Concentrating, he can hear noises from the living room, squealing and banging. Definitely sounds like the dreamies. Jaehyun nods.

“C’mon, get up and help with dishes.”

Mark climbs out of bed, throwing on joggers when Jaehyun leaves, and a sweatshirt. He brushes his teeth and tries to fix his tragic hair before going out into the noisy living room. It’s absolutely packed with members, scents mixing together in the air. The kitchen seems to be barricaded off with chairs, Kun and Taeyong probably blocking the members from gathering where they were trying to work. Donghyuck and Jaemin are chopping vegetables at the table when the omega spots Mark hovering awkwardly outside the room. He leaps from his chair.

“Can Mark come in?” he asks excitedly. Kun looks up from his pan and gives Mark a warm smile.

“Only if he’ll help cook,” the beta acquiesced. Kun is fairly new to NCT, but he’s already one of Mark’s favorite hyungs; always creating a calm environment with his vanilla scent, making home-cooked meals for them to eat while watching tv, and whispering comforting things in Chinese when any of the Chinese members are upset.

“Thanks hyung,” he says, inclining his head, before Donghyuck grabs his hands and helps him jump over the barricade.

“He can cut up the celery!” Donghyuck says, pulling Mark over to the table. Mark watches Donghyuck slide around the kitchen in fuzzy socks, pulling out another cutting board and knife, setting them in front of Mark. He scoots his chair so close to Mark’s that their elbows will brush while they’re working.

Taeyong sets a bunch of washed celery in front of Mark. “Please don’t hurt yourself,” is all he says before returning to his stew. The beef in the broth smells so good that Mark’s stomach growls, reminding him that he hasn’t eaten since a little bit of soup for lunch, and now it’s around seven. Donghyuck giggles at him.

Mark leans closer to the boy to whisper in his ear. “What’s got you so happy, huh?” Donghyuck shrugs, fixing his eyes on the carrots on his cutting board.

“Chop your celery, Lee,” he says.

Jaemin makes an exaggerated gagging noise from across the table. Donghyuck sticks his tongue out at the younger alpha.

“You guys better not get gross in front of me,” he warns, brandishing a scary looking bread knife.

“Like this?” Donghyuck takes Mark’s earlobe between his teeth and Mark flinches.

“Hyuck!” he exclaims.

“Hey! Do your jobs!” Taeyong reprimands from across the kitchen, fixing the trio with a disapproving stare.

“Sorry, hyung,” Donghyuck says, sounding absolutely delighted with himself. Jaemin sighs heavily.

“I can’t believe this is happening.”

 

The food is done half an hour later, despite their antics, and they all gather in the living room to eat and watch a movie. All the blankets and pillows in the entire dorm are thrown together to cushion those who won’t fit on the couches. Jisung and Chenle end up squished on a bean bag together, Jeno and Jaemin occupying the other. Taeyong falls asleep before the movie even starts, leaning against Johnny’s chest in a reclining armchair. Lucas has somehow coerced Renjun into squeezing into the other armchair with him, but the omega doesn’t look too upset about it despite his initial protests. Doyoung and Taeil have claimed one couch for themselves, Kun and Ten sprawled out on the other. The rest of them were regulated to the floor. Yuta and Sicheng, Jaehyun and Jungwoo, and Mark and Donghyuck sprawl out together in their pairs. He can’t even complain about being stuck on the floor, however, when he has Donghyuck happy and giggling next to him. Ignoring the hardwood floor, it’s more comfortable than being squished together on a couch or beanbag. He can’t even tell where Jeno’s limbs begin and Jaemin’s limbs end, curled up on a beanbag together.

When the movie starts and the lights get dimmed, Donghyuck lays his head on Mark’s shoulder. Mark summons his courage, reaching for Donghyuck’s hand. The omega smiles up at him, and if Mark weren’t surrounded by all of his packmates, he would have kissed him. Instead, he just smiles back and settles in for the movie.

Mark is nearly asleep, the movie coming to an end, when a sudden movement startles him. Donghyuck’s head falls off his shoulder when he sits up. The omega makes a tiny, disgruntled noise when he wakes up. Mark’s subconscious registers it as cute, but he’s focused on Johnny’s retreating figure as he walks quickly down the hallway, Taeyong thrown over his shoulder. He’s confused for a moment, but then Taeyong’s scent fills his nose, a powerful dark chocolate. He coughs, realizing instantly that the older omega had gone into heat.

Yuta, closest to the remote, pauses the movie, and the living room falls into an awkward silence, before Chenle bursts out into giggles, the force of his laughter causing him to flop back onto Jisung. The spell over the rest of the room breaks as Taeyong’s scent begins to fade, and they laugh along with Chenle.

“Oh my god,” Donghyuck says groggily. Mark leans back again so the omega can resume his nap. Yuta resumes the movie, but Donghyuck complains that his neck is getting stiff and Mark is falling asleep anyway, so they retreat back to the omega’s bedroom which is peacefully quiet since Jaehyun is with Jungwoo for the night.

Donghyuck pulls out a t-shirt for Mark to sleep in, giggling when he realizes that it’s actually one of Mark’s that he’d taken from him earlier. Mark pinches his cheek and reprimands him for stealing, ignoring that Donghyuck is wearing one of his shirts right now.

They take turns in the bathroom, then brush their teeth next to each other. Donghyuck wears nothing but briefs and Mark’s oversized t-shirt. In the reflection of the bathroom mirror he looks devastatingly adorable, hair fluffy and cheeks rosy from sleep. Toothpaste foams at the corners of his mouth. When he bends over the counter to spit, his shirt rides up his legs. Mark tries not to stare at the soft skin of the omega’s upper thighs, but he’s tired from the long day and his resolve is worn away.

“Ready?” he asks softly when they finish washing their faces. Donghyuck shakes his head and reaches for an orange bottle. He realizes that it’s the omega’s new medication and grimaces. He wants to bat the bottle out of Donghyuck’s hands, but he just watches as Donghyuck fills up a glass with water. The omega is about to throw the pill into his mouth before Mark snaps.

“Wait!” he grabs Donghyuck’s wrist, causing the pill to fall out of his hand. The red capsule circles around the basin before disappearing down the drain. Donghyuck looks at him strangely.

“What?” he asks. Annoyance is evident in his tone, but his face is curious. Mark swallows.

“Do you want to- I mean…” Mark can feel his face heating up. Donghyuck crowds Mark in the corner of the bathroom.

“What is it?” Faces inches apart, Donghyuck smells sweeter than ever before. His eyes glimmer with hope.

“You don’t have to take the pills,” Mark says softly, eyes searching the omega’s as he waits for a response. The omega’s eyes fall to Mark’s mouth and back up to his eyes.

“I’ll think about it,” he says. Mark feels his heart sink in his chest, but nods. The disappointment must show on his face, because Donghyuck hugs him, nuzzling into his neck. Mark rests his cheek against the omega’s head, closing his tired eyes.

“Take your time,” he says, fingers scratching lightly at his back. The omega lets out a contented sigh. Mark feels the press of lips against his neck.

“I love you,” the omega murmurs, and Mark’s heart swells. He grabs the boy’s thighs and hoists him up onto the counter in a swift movement that leaves the omega reeling.

Donghyuck lets out a scandalized gasp. “Mark Lee!” The heat from the omega’s thighs makes his head feel fuzzy and unthinkingly, he lets his hands slide higher up the smooth skin. Donghyuck wraps his legs around Mark’s hips and pulls him closer so he presses against the counter.

“Touchy, aren’t we?” Donghyuck teases, their noses brushing. Mark suddenly realizes where his hands are resting, the line that he may have crossed.

“I’m sorry,” Mark says instantly, pulling his hands away. Donghyuck scoffs, grabbing them and placing them on his waist, then brushes their lips together. The kiss takes Mark by surprise and he inhales sharply before sinking into the kiss, tilting his head and parting Donghyuck’s lips with his own. Donghyuck’s tongue tastes minty and Mark pulls him closer.

Donghyuck runs his hands up under Mark’s shirt, feeling the muscle and cool skin. It makes Donghyuck realize how hot he must be, for Mark’s skin to feel cold to him. He breaks the kiss, their foreheads pressed together. Donghyuck’s pheromones have flooded the bathroom and Mark is having a hard time controlling himself. He reaches for the omega’s medicine before they forget, placing a pill in Donghyuck’s open palm. He watches the movement of his throat when he swallows, wanting to trace the bobbing adam’s apple with his tongue.

The only sound in the bathroom is their breathing. Donghyuck’s fingers twitch where they’re twisted in Mark’s shirt, his breath hitching when Mark’s hands run over his back. The alpha’s touch feels so nice on his overheated body and he wants to get closer to Mark, but they’re already pressed together at every possible place.

“We’ll figure this out, Mark.”

“Yeah. Yeah, we will.”


End file.
